California State University, Fullerton



243205020510500University Learning Center:Crash Course Study Skills #5Focus & Concentration SkillsCreated by Megan MillerOverview of the Online Academic Makeover WorkshopsThank you for taking an interest in the Online Academic Makeover Workshops! The University Learning Center at California State University, Fullerton is passionate about helping students learn how to learn. The goal of the online workshops created by the University Learning Center is to help students understand the value of fundamental concepts that are vital to student success throughout the college experience. In addition to the high impact practice of peer-to-peer tutoring, the online workshops enable students to learn student success secrets virtually anywhere at any point throughout the academic year.To better support student learning, a workshop packet accompanies each online workshop. Each packet has a pre-reflection, guided notes, and a post-reflection. We encourage students to answer the prompts of the pre-reflection before viewing the workshop video. There are no correct or incorrect responses since the pre-reflection serves as a tool to help the workshop participant to consider themselves and focus on the workshop content that is most relevant to them. The guided notes are intended to help the workshop participant focus on the big ideas presented in the videos. Additional notes are recommended! The workshops are most effective when participants create meaning for themselves. The post-reflection is meant to be completed after the workshop video has been viewed. This section allows the workshop participant to check and see if they understood the main ideas from the workshop and make more personal connections while considering ways to apply what was learned.The University Learning Center appreciates your interest in our online workshop series, and we hope you learn something new! Happy Learning!The University Learning Center TeamPollak Library North657-278-2738fullerton.edu/ulcFocus & Concentration Online Workshop Pre-ReflectionHow would you define focus? Why is focus and concentration important for academic success?Is multitasking a legitimate study strategy? Explain.What do you find to be most distracting to you when you are trying to focus or concentrate on a task? What makes these elements so distracting?Describe your ideal study space. What about this space would enable you to stay focused and concentrate while learning?What are you hoping to learn from the Online Academic Makeover Workshop on Focus and Concentration?Focus & Concentration Workshop Guided NotesWhen was the last time you were able to sit down and intensely pay attention to one task for a long time?This has become harder and harder to do as we have added more distractions to our livesAttentionAttention: the process of focusing your cognitive resources on one stimulus of information while ignoring all others in the environment2 Main Forms of AttentionTop-Down or Voluntary AttentionBased on task demandsThe brain activates inhibitory mechanisms to block out competing stimuli Directed Attention Fatigue: part of what causes you to become more distracted and less able to focus on your work as time goes byBottom-Up or Stimulus Driven AttentionAutomatically focused attention due to stimuli in the environmentThe Strength of Your Inhibitory Mechanisms Depend On:Your environmentYour tendency to seek novelty when boredYour interest in the taskThe current state of your brainHow long you have been focusing Strategies to Strengthen Your Attention and FocusMultitaskingYour brain cannot do two things at onceWhen you switch your attention from one task to another, you incur a cognitive switching penaltyYou lose the raw amount of time it takes to switch from one task to anotherYou lose the amount of time it takes for your brain to properly refocus its attention and get back into the flow of thingsAttention Residue: When you switch from task “A” to task “B,” your attention doesn’t immediately follow, a residue of your attention remains stuck thinking about the original taskWhen you sit down and decide to work, choose one task and make it your only focusSpend 20 to 30 minutes on a task before switching to something elseTailor your Environment for Better FocusFind a spot that you use only for studyingA single context has powerWhen your location, the people you are around, and all the other pieces of your environment point to a single activity, you’ll be more likely to do it There is no formula for a perfect study spotWhat does your current study environment look like? Describe it in the space below. Would you change anything about it? Explain.In general, the fewer things competing for your attention, the betterRemove anything non-essential from your study spaceUnrelated books and suppliesClose programs and tabs on your computerPut away your phoneAnticipate potential distractions that might come up and try to get ahead of themLearn to Resist Cravings for NoveltyChecking social mediaWatching videos How might you avoid social media or watching videos when trying to focus?By default, the human brain does not like boredom or hard workThe strength of these cravings is set by how often you give into themOur actions create habits and expectations in our brains, and these become hard-wired patterns of behaviorBy acknowledging a craving for novelty, and then deliberately ignoring it and getting back to work, you start to build a tolerance for boredom and wean yourself off that need for constant stimulationAs you do this, your ability to focus strengthens Tools to Help You Avoid DistractionsCold TurkeyStay FocusedForest When you don’t need a tool, like the internet, for your work, disconnecting it eliminates its potential for distraction entirelyOur brains operate on a cycle of work and restCircadian Rhythm: governs your sleep and wake scheduleAfter a certain amount of work, you need a breakThe amount of time will vary from person to personA good guideline to use is 25-30 minutesOnce you have spent that long on a task, if you feel your attention waning, take a break for a few minutesDuring these short breaks, its important not to switch to another task or get involved in something distracting, as you don’t want to create that attention residue that makes it harder to get back into your workAfter a few work sessions with these short breaks in between, you can then take a longer break to rechargeDuring these longer breaks, it is fine to switch to something easier to do or something fun for a little while- if you’re planning when these breaks will happenWhat will you do during your longer break? Why is it important to take an extended break?Realize that you’ll always have a limited amount of focused energy you can expend in a dayRelaxation isn’t the only thing your brain needs. To keep being able to focus and improve long-term, you need to take care of the biological needs of your brainThe brain needs sleep, nutrients, and exercise to work at peak efficiency If you’re still struggling to focus, look at your health habitsYou need at least 7 hours of sleepYour body needs healthy foodTry to exercise once a dayHigh Quality Work = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus)Focus & Concentration Online Workshop Post-ReflectionWhat did you learn from the Focus and Concentration Online Workshop?What was something from the Focus and Concentration Online Workshop that surprised you or you found to be the most interesting?Which of the concept, method, or technique discussed in the Focus and Concentration Online Workshop do you think you would benefit the most from? Why?Describe how you will apply what you learned from the Online Workshop. ................
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